Lone Trainer
by SamanthaRoseHeartfillia
Summary: I don't see a lot of Pokemon fanfics but I had some ideas. So I thought I'd write one. This fanfic doesn't include Ash, Misty, Dawn or any of the actual characters from the show; it's purely about my own character who goes on a perilous journey to save everything she knows.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_Seraphina Connell lived for the day when she would turn ten. When the day came that she could finally meet her pokemon companion that would stay by her side as they battled gyms and eventually the pokemon league. She idolized this day until it came. _

_Seraphina could hardly sleep knowing that in a few hours she'd be ten and able to get her first pokemon. Her little brother, Alzack protested on having to go to bed._

"_But, Sera's still up why do I have to sleep?" He whined. Sera's mother, Asuka, sighed._

"Sera_," She enunciated the word, fully meaning to address her. "should be going to bed now."_

"_But, mom! How can I sleep?" She came out of her room protesting. "In just…" Sera paused counting the hours till the sun would rise. "eight hours the sun will rise and I'll be ten and get my first pokemon!"_

_Her mother sighed, her father laughed as he came up beside her, "Getting your first pokemon is a big deal but you can't be your best for your new friend if you don't get enough sleep." Her father said, he always knew how to twist words into making his kids do what they're told. _

_Sera sighed knowing her father's technique was old but that he was right. "Okay." She said sadly and walked off to bed as her parents put Alzack to bed. But as Sera crawled into bed she couldn't sleep knowing what great adventure waited for her tomorrow. Still she tried to close her eyes._

_Sunlight through slitted eyelids woke Sera up, that and the fact Alzack was on top of her wildly exclaiming something about getting a pokemon. Sera pushed him back and sat up sleepily. "What?" She mumbled still waking up._

"_Today's the day Sera! You're finally ten!" Sera gasped, she was ten, the day she met her new pokemon was here. She flew out of bed and quickly got dressed. Alzack waiting impatiently behind her door the whole time. _

_The morning couldn't have gone by any slower. After lunch her parents revealed to her the pokemon their wealthy expenses had found for her to choose from. Of course their were the common three starting types most people got, but Sera wasn't interested in those. She searched the line front to back a few times, deciding carefully which partner she should choose to be her friend. Finally Sera had to decide on a small fox pokemon. She picked it up and smiled at it, the fox gave her a blank stare back._

"_I choose you then. Hello, Vulpix!"_

Sera woke up, her Furret's fuzzy tail wrapped around her as she slept. Sera sighed, long gone were the days she'd spent with that Vulpix. She sat up and looked at the sleeping Furret beside her. Pidove's and Tailows sang in the trees above, the sunlight cast through a canopy of leaves placed its rays perfectly on Furret's head. Showing his luscious and soft fur like a warm coat. Sera smiled, all she had was her Furret now and that was all she needed. Slowly Furret's brown eyes began to open. His mouth opened in a yawn as he lifted his big head.

Furret was much bigger than Sera, or any other Furret's, the biggest one she'd seen anyway. At night they would sleep in their forest home his tail wrapped around her to protect her from the cold.

"Morning Starshine!" Sera laughed and jumped off from her place buried in his tail. Once Furret saw she was up he bounced around excitedly, the end of his tail following his body like a snake. "Ready, Furret? Let's go!" She exclaimed as she absentmindedly brushed her short hair to the side. Furret bounded out of his sleeping place, running off at a blinding speed only stopping short to let Sera climb aboard his back.

Sitting amongst his soft fur Sera took a few glances at the blurry forest going by her. The family of linoone's that lived close by were just waking up, she waved to them though they probably didn't see her. The patrol Tailows flew beside her and Furret signaling to the other pokemon, The Lone Trainer was here.

Every day Sera and Furret race across the Viridian Forest patrolling every inch of it. There were a lot of bad people these days, every week Sera and Furret would find at least three injured pokemon, most of them injured from trainer battles some she found abandoned by their trainers. Sera couldn't stand to see hurt pokemon that's why Furret and her were known as the protectors of this forest. She told Furret to pick up his speed, he listened and raced through the trees.

A few hours later and the sun was high in the sky, Sera and Furret hadn't found any injured pokemon today, which was unusual but a good sign. The northern patrol had gone well, the local Tailows would usually come to Sera and lead her to any injured pokemon, no one did. This was as it should be, pokemon living peacefully in the forest together. This was what Sera was here for. Furret and her were just starting the patrol by the trainer's path. So many trainers came through the forest on a daily basis. All of them wanted something, normally a trainer battle, which Sera didn't care for, so she has Furret climb to the tree tops and watch the path from the branches most days.

The forest harbored a minimal amount of trainers today, so she and Furret skipped ahead to finish the patrol. Before she knew they were back where they started, the daily patrol yielded no news. Now Furret and Sera were relaxing on a tree branch by the path into Viridian forest. Sometimes she liked to watch what kind of trainers come through and what pokemon they have. She never confronted them though, that would lead to battles.

The usual catch came through today, one group of fresh trainers all with starter types from the Hoenn region. Sera got bored of watching, today was such a slow day, would anything happen? Sera didn't think so as she finished off the fruit she'd been eating. She was about to get up and leave when one more trainer caught her eye. A young boy about twelve, a Froslass floating gently beside him. He looked like an experienced trainer despite his age, so why would he be walking through the Viridian forest? Most trainers who came through here were new having just received their first pokemon from the town outside the forest. Furret seemed to think they were interesting, he didn't waste any time in climbing down the tree. Sera couldn't stop him, Furret was too fast and she knew if he got into trouble she'd have to be there. She cursed the pokemon and leapt down after him.

Furret was standing full height, which is about eight feet for him, looking down on the trainer and his pokemon. Sera placed a hand on Furret's side, an indication he was too close for comfort. "C'mon Furret don't scare them." She then addressed the trainer. "My pokemon seems to have taken a liking to you, he normally doesn't do that. Anyway, my name is Sera, who are you?" She asked not portraying any emotions or friendly greeting.

The trainer seemed caught off guard as he faltered and stole one last nervous glance towards Furret. "I'm Alzack…" He paused because Furret was now pushing his nose into Alzack's bag. She could see the trainer try to ignore it but found it difficult. She pulled Furret away, though that didn't stop him from looking curiously at his bag. "Does your friend always do this to new trainers?" He asked nervously.

"Alzack you say?" Sera couldn't help but think of the likeness the name shared with her brother, thinking of that brought up painful memories so she pushed it to the back of her mind. "Actually he doesn't. Looks like you've got something of great interest to Furret in your bag."

Alzack looked subconsciously at his bag, he gripped the edge as if preparing to fight or flee. Meanwhile his Froslass, a considerable size for it's kind, was sizing up Furret. "Uhn- There's a few poke puffs in there nothing more."

Sera raised her eyebrow questioningly. Whatever the kid had in his bag he wasn't telling and she didn't care. The only reason she was down here was because Furret forced her. She shrugged. "Okay then," She began. "Well sorry for Furret's interruption, we'll leave you alone now." Sera said and turned to Furret who seemed to be playing tag with Alzack's Froslass. Both parties seemed to be enjoying it, Sera couldn't understand why. Having been abused by people and pokemon alike Furret wasn't normally so forward with strangers. Perhaps he was opening up, none the less Sera whistled to him a signal it was time to go.

Furret and Froslass looked at her with long faces. It was clear neither of them wanted to leave. Furret turned to Froslass and waved goodbye, the Froslass waved as well giving him a smile. Furret reluctantly returned to Sera's side, she was about to climb aboard Furret's back and take off when the boy called her back.

"Wait!" He faltered as if he'd forgotten why he'd called her back. "Um- it's just our pokemon seem to like each other and it's rare we ever meet someone nice like you. Why don't we walk and talk a while. I'm sure our pokemon would enjoy it."

Sera's eyes widened. He called her nice...why would he say that? It wasn't as if Sera gave people warm feelings when she met them. Sera opened her mouth to decline but one look from Furret's pleading eyes was enough. "Fine. That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Sera gave Furret a small smile and he bounded towards Froslass who welcomed him with a playful smile.

The more Sera walked with Alzack the more he reminded her of her brother. She allowed herself a moment to think about the possibility of finding him again when she did the similarities were too uncanny.

"_Snorunt, don't run off!"_

"_Alzack- wait! It's dangerous!"_

"_...Aaaahhh."_

Painful memories snapped Sera back to the days she spent with her family. She hadn't realized she'd stopped walking. Alzack was a few steps ahead of her when he turned and asked, "Sera? Are you okay?"

Sera shook her head to clear the memories away. "Yeah, I'm fine." Sera kept walking with Alzack, a happy Furret and Froslass trailing behind.

Having finished her patrol of the forest early Sera allowed herself to relax with Alzack. A rare thing she did with trainers she didn't know. As they talked Sera found out Alzack had just beat his fifth gym with Froslass and was heading to his home to tell his dad.

"And what about your mom?" Sera asked not expecting the awkward silence that followed.

"She died. Two years ago."

Sera sat up from where she was sitting. The sun setting behind the trees and the glow from the campfire gave Alzack an orange tint. "I'm...sorry." She said looking towards the ground. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"It's okay." Alzack reassured her, he tried to smile in her direction but it was weak and Sera saw straight through it. "It's in the past. I just wish my sister knew." Alzack said quietly yet suddenly like it just slipped out.

"Your sister?" Sera questioned. Any hope Alzack had that she had missed the comment about his sister faded when Sera questioned him.

"Uh- yeah. I mean she's been gone a long time." Alzack rubbed his head impulsively, a sign, Sera found, that usually meant there was more to something than people let on. "Anyway," Alzack began obviously desperate to change the subject. "what about you? Why are you here?"

Sera hesitated. She didn't want Alzack to find out about her past, if he did he would treat her differently like everyone else did. "I take care of the pokemon that live here. I help them when they're sick or injured."

"So you're like the nurse joy of the forest?" Alzack asked suddenly interested.

"Not really." Sera chuckled. "I protect the forest and every creature inside of it. Furret and I are here to drive away the evils that may enter."

"That's heavy. This is a pretty big forest and you two do all that alone?"

"Well, we have help sort of. When there's trouble the Tailows here let me know." It must have been taboo because as the words left Sera's mouth a baby Tailow flew down beside the fire and chirped urgently to the trainers. Sera frowned. "Like now."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Before Alzack could ask her what was wrong Sera whistled to Furret who came bounding over. She had climbed his back and was ready to take off when Alzack stood up to stop her. He stood in front of Furret trying to get Sera's attention. She hissed quietly but addressed Alzack none the less.

"Let us help!" He spouted suddenly, Froslass coming up beside him. "Froslass and I make a fearsome team, and if there's trouble we can help."

Sera wanted to tell him no but the Tailow chirping in her ear told her of precious little time. She couldn't argue with him and Alzack looked like he'd made up his mind as he stood there resolutely.

"Fine. Just don't fall behind." She said fiercely and whipped through the trees leaving Alzack in the dust. Sera didn't care if Alzack followed or not. What she'd gathered from the baby pokemon wasn't much. All she understood was it was alone and it's parents along with a few other pokemon that tried to help were in danger. Whether this was danger from trainers or rogue pokemon she didn't know.

Sera was broken from her thoughts as a whinnying Ponyta, carrying a very focused trainer on it's back, zipped ahead of Furret. Sera blinked at Alzack, trying to comprehend how he had caught up to her so quickly. The thought was never finished, Sera told Furret to speed up, Furret was now running as fast as he could while dodging trees. Alzack kept pace on his Ponyta beside her.

A few minutes later and Sera lost sight of the Tailow as it flew between the bushes. Furret easily cleared the bushes in one jump leaving Ponyta to crash through them, the brambles causing it to whinny in pain. Furret's back fur was on end as they looked around the clearing they had just came to. The baby Tailow was no where to be seen but Sera was sure she could hear it. Tiny urgent chirps came from a spot Sera couldn't quite place.

She had Furret look around and sniff the ground for anything unusual as she looked around the clearing. Furret was anxious, she could feel the nervousness coming off him, projecting into an over territorial nature. Alzack dismounted his pokemon and put it back in it's pokeball. He kept a watchful eye, circling the clearing and searching for clues.

_What the hell? Is there nothing here?_ Sera felt uneasy at the thought of the baby Tailow urging her along only to find the clearing it led her too empty and devoid of any living creature.

_No. There was definitely something here._ Sera could see the clearing's dirt and grass had been stirred up, branches were broken and thrown aside suggesting a struggle between...what looked to be a pack of Swellows and one large footed pokemon. The more she looked around the more Sera noticed giant claw marks dug into the dirt, much too large and odd in shape to be any pokemon from this forest. Whatever it was had caused a ruckus. She pointed Furret towards the pokemon's footprints. He got the scent and tested it in the air. Suddenly Furret hissed, his lips fell back into a snarl and his fur raised higher almost covering Sera's mouth.

If Furret had seemed uneasy before he was downright terrified now. Sera tried to pet his neck to calm him down but nothing worked. She told him there was nothing to worry about and they had to follow the scent but Furret just shook his head. He refused to go any further and to make his point he sat down in such a way Sera tumbled off his back.

"Furret!" She whined. Furret remained sitting and didn't look at her, keeping an eye on a broken path through the bushes into which the footprints led. Furret looked back at Sera, as if to say, _You wanna fight that thing go in there and do it alone._

Alzack came up to Sera as she got up and brushed the dirt off. "You okay? What's wrong with Furret?"

"I'm fine. I don't know what's got into him but he's being positively stubborn today. Anyway, whatever that Swellow was worried about is too big for us to take on alone. If it's got Furret riled up then we should be scared." Sera remained staring into the bushes as if they would provide some sort of clue. Alzack stood silently trying to process what this meant.

"So what do we do?"

Sera stared into the bushes a while longer hoping an idea would come out and hit her in the face. "I have somewhat of an idea." Sera said and turned around walking into the trees again. She called to Furret who was more than happy to walk away from the danger.

"Somewhat of an idea? What is it?"

"It's a dangerous one." Sera explained climbing onto Furrets back once more. "One you should stay away from. Get out of here as fast as you can and warn the other trainers; Viridian Forest is too dangerous."

Alzack protested immediately. "What!? Dangerous? What's the danger I can't just leave if it's that bad. And what even where those footprints? I've never seen a pokemon large enough to create those."

Sera didn't have time to argue, but she knew Alzack wouldn't budge. So she settled on an easier way. She touched Furret's neck in a way that signalled him to take out whatever was in front of them. Before Alzack knew what hit him a giant furry paw came down on his head.

With Alzack unconscious Sera lifted him onto Furret's back making sure all his things were on his person before taking off. Furret made a quick trip to the other side of the forest. Sera left Alzack hidden in a bush by the path that led to the town where he said his home was. It wasn't the safest place for him but it would have to do.

When Alzack woke up Sera would be long gone, and she was. Sera and Furret raced at top speed through the trees once more. _If something this big had entered the forest why didn't we see it? It must have been recent, _She thought. Sera had been distracted by Alzack most of the day and even though she patrolled in the morning neglected to patrol when evening came. She cursed her stupid mind for getting involved with the boy and neglecting her duties. This was the last time Sera let herself get caught up in human contact.

Within a few minutes Sera came to her destination. Furret stopped beside a forlorn cave, ivy tendrils hung in front of the entrance. Moss covered the ground as Sera dismounted and approached the entrance. She pushed aside some of the ivy as she entered, Furret waited patiently outside.

There was another pokemon, when in times of great trouble, Sera could call upon for aid. This creature was her one and only trump card. She rarely came to see it, in fact she hadn't entered this cave in two years. Before she had to announce herself the creature knew she was there.

A faint glow of the moon shone through a hole in the roof onto a moss covered rock resting in the middle. The glow intensified when Sera drew closer. Radiant warming colors started to come from the moon's light, now the rock was circled by an aura borelius.

Sera respectively bowed before the shimmering rock. A voice entered her mind through telepathy. _Why have you come here?_

She answered back the same way. _I fear the forest is in grave danger, Furret sensed-_

_Grave danger!? _The voice interrupted. _I see no such thing. The forest is calm and in peace. Do not trouble me with worrying about nothings. _The creature was agitated, it showed in it's voice.

_But the forest-_

_Is perfectly peaceful! You need not trouble yourself there is nothing of danger in this forest. Next time you come here with such news think better of it._

The voice faded and so did the light, Sera couldn't believe it. She didn't care if this creature was far superior to any others of it's type this was down right rude. Surely a problem big enough to make Furret abstinent to follow was enough to trouble anyone. This pokemon didn't seem to think so.

Sera cursed under her breath and exited the cave. Furret could immediately tell something went wrong. He came up to Sera curiously. She kicked away a large branch in her frustration. Furret pushed his soft fur into her neck, absentmindedly she pet the large Furret's head.

She turned to Furret. "You're not going to like this. But we have to go after that thing."

Furret looked at her like she was crazy, she knew her Furret well and could read his thoughts by his expressions. _You've gotta be crazy? _

"Maybe I am. But we have to find out what made those footprints."

_No way! I'm not going after it! _Furret stubbornly sat down again.

"C'mon bud! If we don't protect this forest who else will?" Furret looked towards the cave. Sera sighed. "She's not going to help us this time. She just told me I was worrying for nothing."

_Then she's right and whatever was there is gone now? She's never been wrong before. _

"I don't by that. Something inside me is not right. I just know something dangerous is here. I can feel it."

Furret humphed his disapproval but reluctantly agreed to help her. _You and me together right? _He asked her.

She jumped on his back and replied with a smile. "Always." She clicked her heels to his side and he took off. Sera didn't know what was out there but she had to find out. There was a dark foreboding about the forest now. It was no longer the peaceful quiet nights she was used to. Everywhere she looked she could see ghost pokemon hiding in the shadows, or were those her imagination? She tried not to focus on their laughs as she plunged through the forest.

As Furret rounded a corner before bounding into the clearing, Sera caught a glimpse of a white coat and a curved black spike. She saw it, Absol, the pokemon that foretells disaster.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sera and Furret returned to the field where the Tailow had lead them. Everything was still in ruins broken branches strewn the field. Sera looked around once more for the Tailow. Her efforts were in vain, the Tailow was not there. Sera once again found the giant pokemon's footprints she clicked her heel to Furret's side and he followed them. The footprints went on for a long time with no trace of the pokemon. Sera grew nervous. She followed the footprints to almost the edge of the forest where they stopped. _Maybe Gardevoir, was right. _Sera thought about the pokemon she'd spoken to in the cave. _Maybe the danger isn't here anymore. _There was no other indication of the pokemons whereabouts just footprints that ended.

Sera told Furret to turn around and go home. Furret's fur was on end and he was jittery, he gladly turned around. When Sera turned 180 she came face to face with lightning blue eyes staring down at her. Furret stopped and hissed at the massive figure in front of them. Her eyes took in the large pokemon.

Giant talons imprinted the ground beneath it's feet. Silver wings rose up to the height of the tallest trees. A silver body glistened with moonlight filtering through the trees. Those blue eyes bore holes in Sera. Suddenly she was washed with a wave of painful memories.

_Sera and Vulpix spent a lot of time together. They became closer than sisters. Pokemon training was everything Sera had expected and more. She loved her pokemon partner to death. The first two years Sera and Vulpix spent training until Vulpix evovled into a Ninetails. The first time Sera laid eyes on her Ninetails she thought it was the most beautiful pokemon she'd ever seen. _

_Finally Sera and Ninetails were ready to challenge gym leaders and other trainers like they'd dreamed of. Sera and Ninetails set off immediately with good bearings from her family. For three more years they slowly made their way through eight gym leaders, stopping in towns for a couple weeks at a time to work for money. Despite the fortune her parents had from their pokemon day care services she wanted to prove her own initiative and make them proud._

_Sera and Ninetails decided to return home before challenging the pokemon league. When she came home her brother, Alzack and a very energetic Snorunt greeted them. _

"_Alzack!" Sera called to her brother who was ten now and must have just gotten his Snorunt, she was a beautiful Snorunt, one Sera could only guess her parents had bred to perfection before offering it to her brother. "You got your first pokemon! Thats so exciting!" Sera's heart sang for her brothers happiness, she hadn't seen her family in so long and the distance only made her love them more. _

_She picked up Alzack and spun him around like old times, although it was harder because he was a lot bigger than before. Sera put her brother down and began to talk with him when she heard a loud screech of tires and deafening_ thud-thud! _Sera whipped around, a car had crashed into something and there was blood everywhere. She ran to the street and see nine bloody tails, with matted fur sticking out from under a car. _

_She let out a heartbreaking scream as tears ran down her face. Somehow Ninetails was pulled from the car and Sera huddled over her partner's body checking for life. Ninetail's beautiful blue eyes were glazed over and her pale golden white fur was stained red. Sera vaguely noticed water droplets falling on the already soaked fur of Ninetails. It wasn't until her parents came over that she realized they were her tears and she was covered in her pokemon's blood. _

_Two weeks later Sera came home from the funeral. The black she was dawned in did little to drown out the red she still saw. She would never get over Ninetails, that pokemon was her only friend and they made their way up the ladder as a team. She never even caught any other pokemon despite trainers telling her to. Ninetails was all she needed, all she wanted. Ninetails was the ground beneath her feet, the thing that was both extremely important and always appreciated. Now he was gone and Sera's world had crumbled to the ground in front of her and she could do nothing but feel pain. _

_Her career as a trainer was over, Sera decided that as she stood in her backyard, the place she'd trained Vulpix into a Ninetails for so long. The place they grew up together in. A single tear fell down her cheek and Sera whimpered. She'd cried so much already there was no way she could cry more. _

_Alzack's voice sounded from behind her. "Sis? Are you okay?" His Snorunt came up to Sera and tried to nudge it's pointy head under her arm. As she absentmindedly patted Snorunt's back, she realized she'd fallen to her knees. Sera shook her head and wiped the tears away. She stood up and faced Alzack._

"_Yeah. I'll be okay."_

"_Are you still a pokemon trainer now?"_

"_No. Not anymore." Sera answered sadly and her eyes fell to the ground._

"_You can have Snorunt if you want." Alzack grabbed Snorunt by his waist and picked him up as if to present it to her. "Snorunt made me happy and you can fight with her to beat the pokemon league and become champion!"_

_Sera couldn't believe him, so naive. He was so innocent for a ten year old. She bent down to his level and pat his head. He slowly lowered Snorunt when he realized Sera wasn't going to take her. _

"_Al, don't give up your dream so I can live mine." She told him slowly making sure he understood._

"_But my dream is for you to be happy?"_

_Al, you're ten now and you have Snorunt as a partner. Becoming trainers is what we've always wanted. I know you want to become a strong trainer and I know you can. Please keep your partner by your side always and never forget to love her with everything you have."_

_Sera smiled for her brother, he looked at her with those eyes of innocence but agreed to do what she said. Out of nowhere the sky darkened and clouds appeared. _

"_C'mon let's get inside it'll rain soon." Sera began to usher Alzack inside when suddenly Snorunt jumped from his arms. Before Alzack could pick her up again Snorunt ran off to the forest over which a dangerous storm was forming. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed._

"_Snorunt, don't run off!"_

"_Alzack wait! It's dangerous-!" Sera chased after him following both pokemon and trainer into the woods, she looked everywhere for them when she passed the treeline but all she found were lightning blue eyes staring her as if to kill her._

""_...Aaaahhh."_

Sera was snapped back to reality when she received a painful blow from the pokemon's wing. Her back cracked from whiplashing into the tree behind her. She wasn't aware of where Furret was as her vision slowly returned with her breath. But there's no rest for the wicked and the legendary Lugia came at her again.

Luckily she gathered her wits just in time to dodge Lugia's hyper beam. She rolled away as the tree was blasted to oblivion and whistled for Furret. He came running up from her side, not missing a beat, Sera grabbed his long fur and yanked herself up to her rightful position on his back as she nearly hit a tree. Lugia roared in the distance and Sera knew she couldn't escape it. She clicked Furret's side but they were already going faster than ever.

Powerful gusts of wind fell onto Furret almost making him stumble. Lugia was flying ahead of them trying to cut them off. She signalled Furret to turn and he made a sharp left. His back claws dug into a tree's bark about an inch deep as he propelled off it. But just as Furret turned Lugia sensed the change in direction and followed from above. Sera repeated this zig zag tactic until she was sure Furret couldn't take anymore. They were almost to the other side of the forest. If they could just get to Gardevoirs cave she could make that poké-bitch suck on her own words. Lugia cut them off tho. Furret was getting slower this tactic had tired him out quickly. Now there was no going any further. Not with Furret unable to take another step.

Sera calmly stared Lugia down as his blue glowing eyes promised murder. She stepped down from Furret's back, who collapsed to the ground almost instantly. This Lugia had caused the storm that Alzack and Snorunt ran into. It had caused Sera to think she'd lost her brother to the beast and tore her from her family. But now she knew Alzack was alive and safe. She knew she couldn't outrun a legendary. The silver winged terror staring at her now promised no way to get past it and to Gardevoir. Sera was on her own. She stood in front of Furret her arms defiantly out to protect her new partner. She lost Ninetails and she wasn't going to lose Furret too.

Lugia opened it's mouth to prepare an attack. "Try it bitch. I'm not moving!" Furret squealed a protest behind her but Sera didn't budge. She'd be dead before she lost another pokemon. Lugia's attack was gaining power, the hyper beam forming insides it's mouth promised her death. She stood rooted to her spot but she was visibly shaken and her knees had grown weak. Her will won out in the end and she didn't move as Lugia's hyper beam fired.

Alzack came running at Sera full speed. He tackled her to the ground as the hyper beam singed a bit of his hair. Sera landed on the ground with Alzack crushing her lungs. She let out a scream as she remembered Furret but Alzack silenced her as he grabbed her arm and ran with her. Lugia had come in for a claw attack and had they not moved they both would have been ribbons of flesh. Something caught Sera's eye as they ran around the other side of Lugia and waited for it to face them. A white winged bird carried something in it's talons that looked too large to carry. The pokemon came closer and Sera saw it was an Altaria carrying Furret but dropping quickly. Both pokemon landed in front of their trainers in a tangle. Alzack shouted a command and like a race pokemon Altaria flew off above Lugia's head distracting it.

Sera came to Furrets side and hugged the pokemon before it got a chance to breathe. Furret impatiently pushed Sera away but still held the same love in it's eyes. Furret and Sera shared a look. Furret jumped up and Sera shouted a command. They hadn't had to fight in a long time but Sera made sure they were always ready with frequent training sessions.

"Furret, use X-scissor!" Furret replied with a flurry of claws aimed at Lugia's exposed stomach. With Altaria using steel wing attacks on Lugia's head and Furret battling it from below Lugia was easily overwhelmed. But once it's confusion was gone Sera and Alzack's pokemon were easily defeated. Lugia smacked them both to the ground with one wing.

Furret and Altaria showed their resolve by getting back up and trying again, this time both trainers ordered them to use their agility to evade Lugia's attacks. It was working so far. Alzack had an idea suddenly brought out three others pokeballs. Out came his Froslass, Ponyta and Mightyena.

"Now fight with everything you have!" Sera turned to him.

"Alzack we can't take on a legendary! Call your pokemon back and we'll make a retreat!"

"No we're not retreating. Lugia will only follow us we have to defeat it!"

"But-"

"NO! Sera!" Alzack shouted at her. "We can defeat it. As brother and sister." Alzack gave her a reassuring smile.

It was true she'd suspected Alzack to be her brother for a long time and hearing him say that only made her happier. She smiled back and told Furret to put everything he's got into it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sera picked herself up from the ground beside her unconscious Furret. Their pokemon had fought their best but it hadn't been enough. They lost the battle and Lugia then targeted the trainers. Sera spit out blood from her mouth and tried to stand, every muscle in her body ached, but she couldn't stop now. She couldn't just lie down and let Lugia take her life. Furret and Alzack had fought so hard for her. She had to prove to them she was worth it.

Sera caught sight of Alzack across the expanse of felled trees. He was unconscious, his head lolled on a rock. His pokemon were nowhere to be seen Sera could only hope they hadn't been eaten.

She looked at Lugia who was still raging and shooting fire in the sky as if to show off. _I thought this legendary lived by the sea? What is it doing here and why is it trying to kill me? _Her questions were unanswered, Lugia came in for another attack but something hit it's face.

"Hey! Ugly!" Alzack crouched by the rock obviously hurt and holding on to the rock for support as he stood up and threw another rock. "Come and get me!" He growled and Lugia roared but readied a wing to blast him away.

"NO!" Sera ran as fast as she could to get to him, she ducked under Lugia's raised wing and turned around to feel a claw slash through her body. The force sent her back. She stumbled and fell to the ground a few feet away.

On the ground she could see dark storm clouds in the sky, it began to rain. Blood rushed through her body and her chest pulsed with pain. She found it hard and breathe and soon hard to hear Alzack's voice. Rain fell in her eyes, she closed her eyes but as soon as she did she fell to the darkness.

Warmth and comfort, Sera felt the warmth and comfort of blankets around her. It was quiet but if she listened she could hear the calls of various kinds of pokemon, one came to her and it sounded so familiar she snapped her eyes open. She heard the call a full grown Maganium, just like the one Mom and Dad used to have, to keep the young pokemon they raised in check.

Sera looked around and noticed she was in a room with a beautiful color scheme. Silver walls were outlined by blue trim and blue furniture. Much like her own room back home. Sera sat up rubbing her bandaged chest to make the pain lessen. _Wait-this is my room!?_ She realized when she saw the pictures of her and Vulpix. Another thought crossed her mind then. _If I'm home, then that means...mom...dad?_ Sera swung her legs over the bed and ruffled through her old drawers for clothes. Some didn't fit her as it had been so long since she'd worn them but in the end she picked the biggest clothes she had and threw them on. A purple tank with denim jeans.

When she looked in the mirror she was pale. Very pale and she looked sickly, she also had the biggest bedhead ever known to man. Sera grabbed a brush and began brushing the tangles out when the door opened a crack.

She turned around a little too quickly when the door creaked and her head exploded. She didn't give in to the pain though, as she looked at who walked in.

It was a man wearing a green apron with a white pokeball logo on it over plaid farmers shirt and dirty jeans. She recognized the gruff face as it had not aged a day in two years. Although his strong jaw line was much more noticeable with a half grown in beard.

"Y-you're awake."

Sera didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. Nothing had kept her from coming back home after that night two years ago. She'd woken up in the woods with a massive headache and an even larger Furret looking at her quizzically. Sera tried to come home many times in those two years but nightmares and bad memories always kept her away from it and away from humans.

"I was going to check on your wounds. Your bandages might need to be changed soon." Her father said stiffly. She knew he wanted to say more, to ask her where she'd been this whole time to hug her possibly to yell at her for not coming home. She expected him to do all three but instead, as she sat down on the bed again, he calmly treated her wounds.

There was an awkward silence in the room, it made her wonder if he even knew who she was. She doubted it, she'd changed a lot, cut her hair, grown two sizes and probably looked more mature than before.

Her father removed a few bandages but kept the private parts covered and rebandaged what was needed. "You look like you'll be fine. It's not infected but you're lucky we found you when we did. I don't know how long you had been lying there for but you've been out cold for three days."

"T-three days!?" She questioned and even her voice sounded strangely grown up and different to her ears. Then she remembered something. "Furret is he-?"

"Your Furret friend is fine. We actually found him right next to your body, almost wouldn't let us get close to you to help." He got up and pulled back a window curtain to reveal a yard full of pokemon young and old. A Maganium trailing the younger ones and soothing them with it's scent when they needed it. But there was one pokemon away from the others, huddling under the shade of a dugout. It was Furret. Sera breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he was safe, though he looked rather lonely and out of place. "Doesn't like the other pokemon too much though." Her father observed.

"Furret was abused by all kinds of pokemon even abandoned by it's own parents. He also doesn't trust people at all. Except me."

"It sounds like Furret and you have had a rough time." He turned back to Sera and said; "I'll let you get your bearings before asking you what the hell happened in that forest. My wife will want to know you're awake too. Take your time." He said as he gathered up the bandages and medicines and walked out.

Sera sighed and collapsed on the bed. All she remembered was Alzack, fighting together with him...but they were...defeated? Furret, he was badly hurt from the fight and yet he still protected her afterwards. But how had she ended up with this wound? Suddenly claws and blood filled her vision. She gasped and jumped up startled. Her heart beat got faster and her palms sweatier, Sera's vision was swaying in and out. She had to stop these memories before she passed out. She shook her head and took a few deep breaths. After a few long minutes her heart calmed, her fingers stopped jittering.

Just in time too, as a woman knocked on her door. She called her in. The woman had to be in her late forties, she held her hair in a tight bun, though a few stray hairs fell in front of her brown eyes. _Brown like mine._ She pushed the thought away as the woman addressed her.

"Hello dear." She spoke but her voice cracked. Sera knew this had to be her mother and that it had to be killing her when her lost child was right in front of her but had to contain herself to keep formalities in case Sera wasn't who she thought she was. "Are you feeling better?"

Sera couldn't contain herself, she didn't want to be treated like a stranger by her parents. That was the last thing she needed right now. Sera got up as the woman came out of the doorway fully. Tears fogged her vision as she threw her arms around her mother's neck. Sera buried her face in Asuka's shoulder.

"Mom." She whispered. Her mother responded by holding her tighter. Her arms rubbed her back reassuredly and Sera felt tears fall into her hair.

"I knew you'd come back. Seraphina...my baby came home." She squeezed tighter and held on longer, but Sera didn't care. After not seeing her mother or father in two years she wanted to ask them so many questions wanted to spend time with them but she knew Furret couldn't stay here, not with so many pokemon that would make him nervous. She also had to find Alzack, she didn't know if her parents knew where he was but she had to ask.

Sera pulled away quickly. "Alzack!" She shouted a little too loud.

"...H-he's not here, darling." She replied sadly.

"No, I know! I have to go find him! The forest and Lugia, he was there!" Sera began running around the room searching for whatever things she'd need for a trip but her mother's hands came down on hers and stopped her.

"Sera! What happened in that forest? What's this about Alzack?"

She looked at her mother's old face sympathetically. "I have to find him." She said and ran past her mother out of the room. Her father was sipping coffee in the kitchen and visibly jumped when she came running by. Sera found the door to the outside and whistled to Furret.

Almost instantly a large mass of fur bowled her over and wetted her face with licks. "Okay, okay! Ha ha ha! Furret stop it!" Furret let her up and she mounted his back.

Asuka and Reylan, her father and mother, came running out of the house. Asuka held on to Sera's leg and looked up at her. "Please don't leave? Sera, we just found you, don't leave again." Her mother was crying.

"Sera what the hell is going on?" Reylan ordered, he didn't ask he demanded an answer.

"Mom, dad…" She hadn't used those words in such a long time they felt foreign. "I have to find Alzack. He's out there in the forest and probably in trouble. I'll be back with him once I find him."

"No, Sera you are not leaving!" Her father stood in front of Furret and held out his hands trying to push Furret back.

"What!? But Alzack-"

"Is dead!" He shouted without hesitation. Sera faltered, her mouth dropped and she stared at Reylan unbelieving what he said. A tear welled up in her father's eye. "He died the day he went out into the storm. We found his body next to Snorunt's...What we didn't find was you. We could only assume you hadn't lived either." Her father grew silent.

Sera kept his words on repeat in her head. _He died the day he ran out into that storm. We found his body next to Snorunt's. He's dead...he's dead._

"No…" She said, her vision fogged and she leaned back, pulling Furret with her. "No you're wrong." She said a little louder. "You're wrong!" She was shouting now. "I saw him! I saw him, he saved my life, he's in the forest and now he's in trouble!"

"No he isn't Sera!" Her mother yelled with purpose. "We know. It was hard enough to bury one child but to not even have anything of yours to find…" She shook her head as if to clear away bad thoughts. "And now you want to leave! After we just found you nearly dead in the woods and you want to chase after ghosts?!"

"It was real! I found him mom! I did!" She wept louder, and began pounding her fists on the closest thing. Which unfortunately for him was Furret. Furret cooed in protest and shook his fur a little to get her to stop. She crawled off his back and met with her father's arms. "He's not dead. I saw him...He was alive…." Sera cried into her father's shoulder and allowed herself to be taken inside.

Once inside Reylan and Asuka questioned her about everything, what happened that night two years ago and what happened in the woods. She told them everything without hesitating. Then her parents asked her something that made her speechless.

"Sera, why didn't you come back to us?"

She was silent for a while searching for a reason, searching for the words to say that would make it okay. Before she answered her father stood up.

"It doesn't matter. You're here now." He smiled and hugged her. Sera felt a feeling well up inside her core that warmed her bones.

Then her father got serious. "But this Alzack you met. Who is he really?"

"I don't know but he seemed confident we were siblings."

Asuka grew distant and her eyes wandered off. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"That's why I have to find him. I need to know the truth, and if he's even alive."

"There's one thing I don't understand though." Her mother stopped her before she could stand up. "Lugia is supposed to be the protector of the seas, why would he come here and more than that why would he attack you...twice?"

"I don't know. Maybe Alz-the other kid will know." She corrected herself. Then to her parents worried faces she said, "Don't worry Furret and I will be back as soon as we get the answers." Sera gave her parents a confident smile and hoped it didn't portray what she really felt inside.

Her father reached out a hand and grabbed hers. "I trust you." He said which made Sera's smile larger. Her mother was less confident of letting her go but she agreed.

Soon her and Furret were racing through the forest once again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Back in the forest Sera decided to check the spot where Sera and Alzack had fought with Lugia, maybe she could get some clues there. Furret slowed when they arrived and gingerly walked around the battlefield. Sera could see the spots where the mighty Lugia stood and battled with their pokemon. She could also see the blood stain on the ground where she had laid dying three days ago. She shuddered and dismounted Furret.

"Go see if you can find his scent." She told him. Furret turned around and began sniffing the air, the ground, the trees. Sera walked passed the puddle of blood trying hard not to think about it. Looking at the turned up ground and the footprints she could reimagine the fight in her mind and played out what happened after she lost consciousness.

From what she could tell Alzack had continued to fight Lugia but it was unclear who won. She followed his footsteps out of the clearing and into some bushes. When she approached the bushes they rustled, she gave a whistle and Furret came running. Out of the bushes white wings appeared, delicate singing filled her mind. Her eyelids grew heavy and she could no longer hold up her body. Sera fell to the ground, sleep began to overtake her.

Before she lost consciousness she saw Alzack coming out of the bushes with his Altaria. But it wasn't Alzack, it was someone...something else. Alzack turned black, then so did her vision.

Sera woke up in a daze. Her head still felt sleepy but she forced her eyes to open. When they did she caught a glimpse of a dark figured creature in the moonlight. Her vision focused and she noticed what pokemon stood before her, Zoroark?! _What's going on?_ She wondered and sat up only to find her hands and feet bound by very flexible tree roots. The Zoroark turned to her then.

If she was correct in assuming it was smiling, as it's lips peeled back in such a manner it showed it's fangy teeth, the Zoroark looked very creepy. She didn't know where Furret was, she didn't even know where _she_ was! One thing was for sure that Zoroark must have been the one to bring her here.

The pokemon spoke before she could ask anything. "Finally awake? I've been waiting for you to wake up." The Zoroark spoke but it was strange, pokemon didn't normally talk let alone sound _exactly _like her dead brother. "Come with me, now. We can play together like the old days. We can have fun together. Isn't that what you want Seraphina?" Even though the Zoroark spoke with her brother's voice she felt a chill run up her spine from something much worse than thoughts of home. Sera had to make a conscious effort to not cringe as she spoke or spill her stomach right there in front of Zoroark.

"No! What I want is to know where my brother is!" She knew it was hopeless, her parents had told her he was dead...and she almost believed them...but yet something still tugged at her. A deep longing for closure that never came.

"Sera, I'm right here." The Zoroark changed form, he know not only sounded like Alzack he looked exactly like him, only younger this time. Not the grown up version she'd met in the forest, no that version was a fake. An illusion made up from broken memories.

"You're not my brother…" She said darkly, her words were enough to make Zoroark stagger as if he'd been punched.

"S-sera…" It reached a hand out to her, she tried to crawl away but the tree roots had her on a tight leash. The illusionary Alzack frowned and the roots tightened. "We are supposed to love each other. We were so close before you left for the pokemon league...All I ever wanted was to be close to you again…"

Sera almost shed a tear but she couldn't, not when she knew that this Alzack wasn't the real thing. "No! You're not my brother! My brother died a long time ago! Just go away!" She screamed closing her eyes in the hopes that this would all go away.

The reminder that this nightmare was real hit her harder than she thought it would have. The air was ripped from her lungs when she heard those words leak from Alzack's mouth. "Don't you love me, big sis?"

Memories of a time long passed hit her like a train. Aside from being a pokemon everything Alzack said and did was spot on. It made her wonder how a Zoroark could have gotten such a spot on description of her brother. She got her answer when she looked up at Alzack's begging face. There was something off about him, something almost dead. One of Alzack's eyes hung limply like a broken marionette puppet and spinned just a little when the other one moved. The eye looked dead, then she noticed the dark glow surrounding him. She'd seen that dark glow somewhere, somewhere deep in the forest at night when the ghost pokemon liked to come out and play.

Her mind flashed back to a Phanthump cold and alone in a dark forest, calling out for the family it lost when it wandered into the forest and died. Most Phanthumps, she discovered, did not know they were dead, they only knew of memories of a family they lost. Any child to get lost in the woods was at risk of becoming one, a ghost of dead memories.

A hard realization hit her like a train as she looked over the vision of her brother. She'd never heard of other pokemon becoming possessed by childrens souls but she supposed it wasn't too far fetched for the soul of a child turned into a ghost pokemon.

"Alzack…" She spoke his name tentatively as if it could break any second. The boys eyes lit up like a christmas tree. He looked happy like a child in his blissfully ignorant years, which she supposed he still was if he really had died. "You're dead."

Alzack's face was no longer happy. The smile was wiped off his face as easily as it had appeared. "Don't say things like that, big sis. I've been looking for you for ages. When I came back out of the forest and you weren't there I thought you had gone back to look for me so I came to look for you. I've been looking for so long and I finally found you big sis!" He flashed her a big toothy grin. It didn't make her feel any better, in fact it creeped her out. "Now we can play together again!" He held out a hand and the tree roots retracted. She was freed from their grasp but she didn't move.

Sera stayed put, staring at Alzack's extended hand. "Alzack...You _died!_" She put more emphasis on the word as he clearly hadn't gotten it the first time.

"No I didn't sis. I'm right here why would you say that?" He sounded extremely sincere, _just like a lost child..._She thought. Sera stood up and so did Alzack. She backed away from him a step but he instantly moved toward her. Tears threatened to fall out held back by only the pain from her bleeding lip. He looked so sincere, so innocent. The more Sera looked at him though the more obvious signs she could find that Alzack was dead. His mouth fell with his dead eye and was ripped from lip to chin, she could only guess that's what killed him as it looked like the wound alone would cause profusive bleeding.

_That foolish kid must have fallen on a tree limb and ripped his mouth open…_ She closed her eyes again trying to control her breathing, her fists tightened. _How many times had mother and I warned him about the dangers in the woods? _Sera had lost count that's for sure. Still every time Alzack had entered the forest to play he would come out with a cut or bruise, this time he didn't come out at all.

"Please stop!" She yelled at the advancing child. "You are not him! You are not my brother! My brother died! HE'S DEAD!" She repeated the words as if trying to convince herself and console herself at the same time.

Sera didn't dare steal a glance at the crying form of her brother. "NOOOO!" Alzack screamed with all his might. His form shimmered and for a few precious seconds she could see the Zoroark he'd possessed, then the phanthump he had become when he died in the forest, finally under the dark layers in his earth bound soul she could see the ten year old kid he once was, matted, bloody and broken. Alzack kept screaming, the more he screamed the faster his form changed and the less consistent it was. "I'M NOT DEAD!" His voice screamed, no longer a child's voice, it was raspy, cracked, and slightly smothered like the voice were talking through a thin bed sheet. "I'M AS REAL AS YOU!"

Alzack's scream nearly broke her ear drums, his voice grew in pitch and volume until she had to check if her ears were bleeding. They weren't but she had to get out of here. Furret was no where to be found, she was worried. Surely the noise they were making was enough to attract Furret's attention even if he were a mile away.

Sera turned to run but stopped dead in her tracks. She looked back with covered ears at the screaming, crying form that pretended to be her brother. She couldn't leave him like this, if she simply abandoned her brother in the forest nothing would change. He would continue to wander as a restless spirit always searching for it's big sister to take him home and play. She couldn't let her brother's soul be tortured as it wandered aimlessly never at peace.

Tears cut streams on her cheeks. The ghostly wailing coming from her brother did little to stop the incessant beating of her heart. With her heart in her throat she grabbed a stray branch off the ground, broke it in half and aimed the jagged end at him. She let a pathetic whimper escape her lips, the first in a long time. Then more came, Sera was sobbing, tears glistened in the moonlight.

She didn't know how this would help but she had to put her brother spirit at rest, Sera hardened her feelings and bit her lower lip harder. With many broken steps and a single fluid movement she pierced Alzack with the stick. Alzack's blue eyes looked up at her in betrayal. She whimpered again, the tears wouldn't stop...She could see it in his eyes, his broken bloody face showed Sera the betrayal he felt.

Sera could never forgive herself for this, she regretted her actions the minute she did them. Alzack's cut up mouth opened but he said nothing. "I'm sorry!" She sobbed, throwing herself on top of her brother who only disappeared at her touch. Smoke swirled as his form evaporated.

Sera was alone, in the dark she sobbed staining her collar and sleeves with attempts to dry the tears. They kept coming, the tears fell until she lost consciousness.


End file.
